Medical Malpractice Damage Caps By State
Compare medical malpractice damage caps across the U.S. Hover over any state for economic and noneconomic damage caps and click for more detailed information. Scroll down for a list of caps by state.
Medical malpractice suits have been blamed for rising health care costs, as physicians have had to purchase more expensive insurance policies in order to protect themselves from high jury awards. To some degree, allowing medical malpractice lawsuits is necessary to protect patients from negligence by doctors, but most states have decided that there is a reasonable limit to what a patient should receive if they’re injured by a doctor’s negligence.
Only 16 states have not enacted legislation placing caps on medical malpractice claims. Twenty-nine states have placed limits on noneconomic damages only. In those states, there is a cap on what can be awarded for things like pain and suffering, but there is still no limit to what a patient can recover for verifiable economic losses like medical costs and lost incomes. In the remaining five states, there is a single umbrella limit on all damages, both economic and noneconomic. These caps range from $250,000 in Indiana to $2.5 million in Nebraska.
Click a state for more information
Alabama Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Alaska Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Arizona Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Arkansas Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
California Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Colorado Economic: $1,000 Noneconomic: $300,000 |
Connecticut Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Delaware Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
District of Columbia Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Florida Economic: None Noneconomic: $750,000 |
Georgia Economic: None Noneconomic: $350,000 |
Hawaii Economic: None Noneconomic: $370,000 |
Idaho Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Illinois Economic: None Noneconomic: $500,000 |
Indiana Umbrella: $250,000 |
Iowa Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Kansas Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Kentucky Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Louisiana Umbrella: $500,000 |
Maine Umbrella: $500,000 |
Maryland Economic: None Noneconomic: $755,000 |
Massachusetts Economic: None Noneconomic: $500,000 |
Michigan Economic: None Noneconomic: $433,000 |
Minnesota Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Mississippi Economic: None Noneconomic: $500,000 |
Missouri Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Montana Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Nebraska Umbrella: $2.445 million |
Nevada Economic: None Noneconomic: $350,000 |
New Hampshire Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
New Jersey Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
New Mexico Umbrella: $600,000 |
New York Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
North Carolina Economic: None Noneconomic: $500,000 |
North Dakota Economic: None Noneconomic: $500,000 |
Ohio Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Oklahoma Economic: None Noneconomic: $350,000 |
Oregon Economic: None Noneconomic: $500,000 |
Pennsylvania Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Rhode Island Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
South Carolina Economic: None Noneconomic: $350,000 |
South Dakota Economic: None Noneconomic: $500,000 |
Tennessee Economic: None Noneconomic: $750,000 |
Texas Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Utah Economic: None Noneconomic: $550,000 |
Vermont Umbrella: $2.15 million |
Virginia Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
Washington Economic: None Noneconomic: None |
West Virginia Economic: None Noneconomic: $250,000 |
Wisconsin Economic: None Noneconomic: $750,000 |
Wyoming Economic: None Noneconomic: None |